An impactful initiative that has been helping Devon parents and carers discuss difficult topics with children such as pornography, drugs and alcohol, relationships and mental health is now available for free online.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) has provided £100,000 to help expand successful programme Let’s Talk which has included launching a website this week so that everyone, regardless of where they live, can access its trusted guidance.
The website includes videos, articles and links to live events on a range of issue from online safety and pornography to healthy relationships and stronger families. The OPCC funding is also being used to run more live events and provide resources on issues such as the use of AI in indecent image sharing and child exploitation. The first of these live events is being held on Tuesday, May 5, and parents and carers can sign up by following the link on the Let’s Talk website.
Let’s Talk was set up five years ago after the South Devon and Dartmoor Community Safety Partnership identified the challenges young people were facing were changing so quickly that it was becoming increasingly difficult for parents and carers to keep up.
Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said: “It is a huge privilege to be able to provide funding for such a worthwhile project that will help parents navigate their children through different hard to talk about adolescence issues in today’s fast changing world.
“This work links to our wider disruptive approach to combating violence against women and girls.
“I would recommend any parent who wants advice on those really tricky subjects such as pornography, drugs and alcohol and relationships, to visit the Let’s Talk website where you will be taught the best way to approach it, armed with the facts you need to know, through a wide variety of free resources.”
So far, the Let’s Talk programme has had more than 9,600 engagements with parents and carers. A key focus for the coming year is to widen the appeal to dads and extended family. Currently only around 13 per cent of parents and carers taking part in Let’s Talk sessions are male. However, dads and male role models play a vital part in young people’s lives and are keen to be involved.
Rebecca Hewitt, chair of the South Devon and Dartmoor Community Safety Partnerships, has led the Let’s Talk initiative and said: “People often ask what the parents are doing, but it’s also about what we are doing to support parents. Often parents don’t understand the risks their young people are facing or are too frightened and don’t know where to start. Let’s Talk empowers parents and carers to support their children by ensuring they can access up-to-date, factual information and tips in a supportive and non-judgmental space.”
Rebecca – the 2025 winner of Combating Violence Against Women and Young Girls (VAWG) award at the West Country Women Awards, sponsored by the OPCC – was recently a guest on podcast series Your VIP (Your Voice in Policing), hosted by Commissioner Hernandez.
She spoke about the Let’s Talk programme and gave advice about how parents and carers can approach difficult topics with children of all ages.
Live Let’s Talk events taking place this month are:
- Tuesday, May 5, at 7pm – Understanding your teenager Click here to book
- Tuesday, May 12, at 7pm – Community Risks Click here to book
- Tuesday, May 17, at 7pm – Family life Click here to book
To visit the Let’s Talk website, please click here Let’s Talk Safer Families
To listen to the podcast and the previous episodes, please click here.
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